Songwriters in Seattle is delighted to Welcome Cyd Smith as a special guest instructor for our 2020 Spring Songwriting Retreat at Pilgrim Firs in Port Orchard, WA!
Cyd will be leading a workshop entitled “Chords, Grooves, and Hooks”
Description: Do your songs all sound the same? Do you have a lyric or a melody that you like but isn’t quite working when you perform it? If you usually start your songs with a lyric, you might find that the musical part comes as an afterthought. In this class we’ll focus on some other elements that help a song stand out: its harmonic structure, groove, and distinctive instrumental riffs or accompaniment that engage a listener and help get your song across.
We’ll start by identifying these elements in songs we admire, and then explore how we can incorporate them as we generate and craft our own songs.
Bio: Over the years, Cyd has performed with many luminaries of the national acoustic music scene, including Mary Flower, Laurie Lewis, Russ Barenberg, and Rebecca Kilgore. She has been a cornerstone of many Northwest bands in a wide range of styles from Swing to Americana to Classic Rock.
As a songwriter, Cyd is an explorer of the unexpected–lyrically, harmonically, and melodically. Northwest music critic Paul de Barros writes, “A sort of Sheila Jordan of the folk/jazz beat, Cyd weds her flutey voice and alluring turns of phrase to a run of crisp rhythms, all propelled by indomitable guitar and lyrics that look sideways at life with a sharp, smart edge.”
A passion for swing and zeal for passing on the swing torch has made Cyd a favorite teacher at music camps throughout the US. The long list of camps she has taught at include Puget Sound Guitar Workshop, California Coast Music Camp, SummerSongs West, Acoustic Alaska Guitar Camp,, and Augusta Blues & Swing Week.
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